After eating his fill, Lin Changsheng stood up and waved goodbye to Old Zhuang.
The sun was nearing the western mountains; it was getting late but not too late. He had a thought and decided to visit the vendor area in the north of the city to browse and buy some Spiritual Rice.
At this time, there were still over a hundred stalls lining both sides of the street.
As night approached, there weren't many people on the street.
Lin Changsheng walked along, casually observing, but due to his financial constraints, he didn't stop to look closely.
Various hawking cries occasionally reached his ears, and seeing Lin Changsheng pass by, they all vigorously promoted their goods.
"Fellow Daoist, take a look! Excellent quality Medicinal Pills! Bigu Pill, Qi Nurturing Pill, Qi Boosting Pill, cheap prices!"
"Come and see! Here are the most complete Spiritual Plants with abundant medicinal properties and age!"
"Don't miss out! We have all sorts of Yao Beast Materials, Spiritual Plants, and Spiritual Ores, all useful for Alchemy and Artifact Refining!"
......
Lin Changsheng was like a country bumpkin entering the city, marveling at everything.
"Even if I can't afford it, it doesn't stop me from broadening my horizons."
He constantly surveyed the surrounding stalls, which displayed various strange spiritual items. Some of them, he couldn't even name.
"Fellow Daoist, is this a Yao Insect egg?"
Lin Changsheng pointed with slight curiosity at a coin-sized green bead.
"That's right! This is a rare Low Grade First-Tier Yao Insect egg, extremely scarce. Ten Spirit Stones each."
The stall owner said, beaming with excitement.
Upon hearing the price, Lin Changsheng shook his head and left. If he learned Insect Manipulation Technique in the future, he could raise some Spiritual Insects.
He then walked to another stall and saw it filled with what were called Magic Treasure fragments.
"Magic Treasure fragments?"
Lin Changsheng glanced at them, slightly curious.
"Of course! These are real Magic Treasure fragments, treasures used by Golden Core True Person, incredibly wondrous. If you can repair them, even a little, their power will be immense!"
The stall owner swore, speaking with great conviction.
Lin Changsheng's mouth twitched.
He thought to himself, "These Magic Treasure fragments have dim spiritual light; most of them are just broken junk."
After a moment of doubt, he still picked up a few fragments to examine them, hoping for some unexpected surprise.
Unfortunately, he was just overthinking it; they truly were broken junk. He wasn't a protagonist, and finding treasures was as rare as a Phoenix feather.
Along the way, Lin Changsheng saw many rare items, but due to his financial constraints, he could only feast his eyes.
However, when he came to a certain stall, he suddenly stopped.
This stall was filled with books and Jade Slips. Lin Changsheng squatted down and carefully examined these books.
"You may only browse the first three pages of the introduction."
At this moment, the stall owner reminded him with an expressionless face.
Lin Changsheng nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
The handwriting in the books was crooked; they were clearly all handwritten copies.
"Spell Secret Manuals?"
Lin Changsheng asked curiously.
The stall owner nodded.
"That's right, they are all basic Spells. Fellow Daoist, you can check the introductions yourself!"
Lin Changsheng continued to flip through the books, seeing titles like "Light Body Technique," "Fire Rain Technique," "Earth Escape Technique," "Falling Stone Technique," and "Spirit Shield Technique," primarily Low and Intermediate-level Spells.
Though not Advanced, they were extremely practical.
Furthermore, they were all common goods, so these Secret Manuals likely had no issues.
"Boss, how much are these Spells?"
Lin Changsheng calmly put down the book in his hand, his tone flat.
"Low Grade Spells are three Spirit Stones each, and Intermediate Spells are ten Spirit Stones each."
A low voice entered his ears, and Lin Changsheng looked up to find the stall owner was a middle-aged man in a green robe with an honest face.
Lin Changsheng looked at the stall owner, intending to bargain.
"Fellow Daoist, your Spells are all handwritten copies, with crooked writing, and they are all quite common Spells. Why are they so expensive?"
"Fellow Daoist, you don't know, selling Spells here requires the consent of the Myriad Spells Pavilion in the city. These Spell copies are taken from them. Most of the Spirit Stones earned must be handed over. However, if Fellow Daoist truly wants them, I can offer a discount."
The big man's eyes lit up, and he quickly explained.
Lin Changsheng felt the two and a half Spirit Stones in his bosom. He secretly shook his head.
"I'll find Fellow Daoist to buy them in a few days."
After speaking, he stood up and left. The Spirit Stones he had were barely enough to buy rice. He could only purchase Spells next time.
Soon, Lin Changsheng arrived at a stall selling Spiritual Rice, pulled out a Spirit Stone, and bought ten catties of Spiritual Rice.
He bid farewell and hurried away.
As night fell, the shantytown became somewhat quiet.
Lin Changsheng dared not linger on the way; the shantytown at night was not safe.
He carried the Spiritual Rice in one hand, while the other was hidden in his sleeve, forming the starting gesture for the Golden Needle Technique.
He hurried along, occasionally encountering passersby who exchanged polite glances and continued on their way indifferently.
Before long, Lin Changsheng safely returned home. He put down the Spiritual Rice and breathed a sigh of relief.
Along the way, there was no incident of a rogue Cultivator robbing him, which was entirely his overthinking. Rogue Cultivators didn't rob just anyone; without even a Storage Pouch, carrying a bag of broken Spiritual Rice, no one would bother to rob him.
After a short rest, Lin Changsheng went to the cultivation room.
He sat cross-legged on the futon.
He began his daily, unyielding Cultivation.
He cleared his mind. Skillfully, he mobilized the spiritual power in his Dantian, circulating it through his body according to the Qi Condensation Art's path.
Thanks to the effect of the spiritual wine, today's Cultivation was exceptionally smooth.
At a certain moment, it was as if he broke through some restraint, and the surrounding Spiritual Qi was greatly drawn in. It was rapidly refined as it circulated according to the Cultivation Technique.
In just a moment, Lin Changsheng naturally Breakthrough to the Middle Stage of Qi Refining. The spiritual power within his body directly surged by more than double.
He dared not be careless and continued to circulate the Cultivation Technique. Only when his cultivation was completely stable did he slowly open his eyes.
"Only from the Middle Stage of Qi Refining does one have enough spiritual power to cast various Spells and activate Magical Artifacts, truly becoming a Cultivator on the immortal path with a certain degree of self-preservation."
Feeling the surging spiritual power in his Dantian, Lin Changsheng's mouth curved slightly upward.
With a thought, Lin Changsheng opened his panel.
Name: Lin Changsheng
Lifespan: 28 / 89
Spiritual Root: Metal, Wood, Earth, Fire
Realm: Qi Refining Fourth Layer Early Stage: 1 / 100 (Note: 34 / 100 for Middle Stage of Qi Refining, 67 / 100 for Late Stage of Qi Refining)
Cultivation Technique: Qi Condensation Art Proficiency: 185 / 300
Spells: Spirit Rain Technique Minor Achievement: 450 / 800; Golden Needle Technique Major Achievement: 1200 / 2000; Fireball Technique Proficiency: 135 / 300
Skill: First-Tier Medium Grade Spiritual Planter: 5 / 300
At twenty-eight years old, being in the Middle Stage of Qi Refining was a bit slow but acceptable. Additionally, his Spiritual Plant skill broke through to Medium Grade, a double blessing.
Currently, with Qi Refining Fourth Layer and Major Achievement Golden Needle Technique, he should have sufficient self-preservation ability.
Moreover, with the surge in magical power, he could finally properly Cultivate the Fireball Technique. This was a genuine Intermediate-level offensive Spell, far superior to the Golden Needle Technique and its like.
This called for celebration.
If he had more Spirit Stones in his pocket, he would go to Hehuan Tower to drink some spiritual wine...
